Walker proposes spending more on mental health

Feb. 6, 2013

Walker

Written by

Scott Bauer

Associated Press

Proposal at a glance

Gov. Scott Walker said Wednesday he will propose increasing funding for mental health services across the state by nearly $29 million. His plan would: • Expand statewide community-based care for adults and children with severe mental illness under the Comprehensive Community Services program. • Establish a state government Office of Children’s Mental Health that will assist other agencies in developing and delivering services. • Expand statewide the Coordinated Services Team program, which helps children with behavioral mental health issues and their families when the children are in two or more systems of care. • Increase funding for peer-run respite centers that deal with emergency services for those in crisis or have difficulty coping with their mental illness. • Increase funding for in-home counseling services. • Add two units at the Mendota Mental Health Institute to meet the growing demand for inpatient evaluation and treatment services. Source: The Associated Press

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MADISON — Gov. Scott Walker said Wednesday he will propose increasing funding for mental health services across the state by nearly $29 million, a move motivated in response to a series of mass shootings in recent months including two in Wisconsin.

Walker told the annual meeting of the Wisconsin Counties Association that he’s been looking into the state’s mental health needs for more than a year, but the effort took on added urgency following the shootings.

There were two mass shootings in Wisconsin last year — one at a Brookfield spa in which three people were killed and another at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek in which six worshippers were slain. In each case, the assailant killed himself.

The December attack in which a gunman killed 20 children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., brought even more attention to issues related to mental health services and gun control.

While President Barack Obama proposed a series of gun control measures now before Congress, Republicans and others including Walker said there needs to be more focus on getting mental health services to troubled people before they turn violent.

Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos on Wednesday also announced the creation of a new lawmaker-led task force he hoped would work in concert with Walker’s proposals and take a broad look at the issue. The group is to propose changes by the end of May.

“We recognize that the current system for treating those with mental illness simply isn’t getting the job done,” Vos said.

Walker met last month with mental health professionals, advocates and consumers from around Wisconsin. The governor said he thought his proposal for additional funding would improve public safety.

“It was real clear these were the areas that needed the focus,” Walker said of where he was directing more money. “I just felt that was an area that often gets overlooked.”

The funding request will be a part of Walker’s budget that he will introduce to the Republican-controlled Legislature on Feb. 20. The Legislature will consider Walker’s proposal for months and likely vote on it sometime in June.

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His proposal would:

• Expand statewide community-based care for adults and children with severe mental illness under the Comprehensive Community Services program.

• Establish a state government Office of Children’s Mental Health that will assist other agencies in developing and delivering services.

• Expand statewide the Coordinated Services Team program, which helps children with behavioral mental health issues and their families when the children are in two or more systems of care.

• Increase funding for peer-run respite centers that deal with emergency services for those in crisis or have difficulty coping with their mental illness.

• Increase funding for in-home counseling services.

• Add two units at the Mendota Mental Health Institute to meet the growing demand for inpatient evaluation and treatment services.

The executive director of the counties association praised Walker’s proposal, saying the extra money would “greatly impact the delivery of mental health services.”

“We are grateful to the governor for recognizing the partnership between the state and counties in providing these critical services to our citizens,” Mark O’Connell said.

Democratic state Rep. Sandy Pasch, who was tapped by Vos to serve as co-chair on the task force, praised Walker’s proposal to bolster funding. But she said if Walker were serious about addressing the state’s mental health needs he would expand Medicaid services as allowed under the federal health law because that also would strengthen coverage for people living with mental illness.

Democratic Sen. Jon Erpenbach, who’s taken a lead on health issues, said Walker was “absolutely on the right track.”

“For the mental health community, this is a really good thing,” Erpenbach said of the additional funding.

Vos said he was open to Walker’s proposal, but he hoped the task force would take an even closer look at a broad range of issues including addressing the stigma associated with mental health illness and its prevalence in the prison population.